“Pineda is developing as a serious contender as he will be looking for his third stoppage in the octagon in only 5 months and riding an almost-two-year unbeaten streak,” UFC president Dana White stated. “This will be the toughest test of his career, dealing with Brown’s experience, power and submission prowess.”

Brown looks to build on the strength of his first-ever UFC win, a UFC 133 victory over Nam Phan. The much-needed result snapped a two-fight losing streak for the former WEC featherweight champion, who had suffered back-to-back losses to Rani Yahya and Diego Nunes following the UFC’s absorption of the WEC’s roster. Brown also lost a lightweight bout at UFC 47 in April 2004.

Brown had been expected to face Vagner Rocha at January’s UFC on FX 1 event but a knee injury forced him to withdraw from the card.

Meanwhile, Pineda (17-7 MMA, 2-0 UFC) has burst onto the UFC scene with back-to-back first-round submission wins over Mackens Semerzier and Pat Schilling. The 26-year-old Texan is currently 9-1 in his past 10 overall fights, with the lone loss coming in a May 2010 fight under the Bellator Fighting Championships’ banner.

For more on UFC 146, stay tuned to the UFC Rumors section of the site.
(Pictured: Daniel Pineda)

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